Virginia Miller, a former council member, and Douglas Swailes will run for the seat vacated by Noah Hughes last month. Hughes was elected to the council Nov. 7, along with incumbents Dotti Maher and Silvia Quezada, and council newcomers Nick Herbold and Liesa Moore. Hughes moved out of the city before his time on the council began, though, and the city voted to schedule a special election.

The candidacy filing deadline was 5 p.m. Feb. 9.

Miller had served on the council in 2014 and 2015, and then began a graduate school program through Oregon State University in 2016. She now is the owner and arborist of Miller Tree Care and hopes create a climate action plan for the city.

"There's not a lot you can do with a shortened term, but I'd like to start a strategic planning process looking at ways to reduce the city's carbon footprint and improving its climate change mitigation," Miller said.

She also said, if she is elected, she plans to explore how the city can supply more affordable housing, partially through funding made available through the One University Place development agreement, which Miller helped negotiate as a council member.

In 2015, the council voted to approve a $4 million TIF plan with the developer, Jeff Maxwell. The city agreed to provide TIF rebates to the developer over a 13.5-year period — which includes an additional $2.7 million in interest the developer would pay over that period through a loan — but included a provision that stipulates 5 percent of the rebate payments will be funneled to a fund intended for low- to moderate-income housing assistance in University Heights.

"Affordable housing is just about the No. 1 problem in Johnson County, and I think it's a problem that we should do our part to address," she said. "Some of the money from One University Place is going to start showing up and we need to know how we are going to use that money in the best possible way, and seek out other possible funding sources."

Swailes, a systems control technician at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, is a newcomer to University Heights politics, but said he can offer the city a new perspective.

"I keep up with what's going on at the council meetings, and I would like to see things done more efficiently," he said.

His main priorities as a council member, if he is elected, will be maintaining neighborhood stability, and strong public safety through a healthy police department. Swailes also said he would ensure the city is spending its current and future budget wisely and would support funding improvements to streets and sidewalks, the police department and to city energy efficiency.

"I'd be ready to invest in our community from Day 1," he said.

Swailes also said he is skeptical that rental housing in the city will improve property values, and that the city should avoid using taxpayer money to purchase rental housing to be maintained as affordable housing, or to convert rental housing to affordable single-family housing.

"Affordable housing has a place here, and I am compassionate to those needs, but I feel like the city has no place getting into the real estate market or the rental market," he said. "I recognize the challenges for the rental property owners, too, and I think the city should maintain a healthy number, but people I've talked to are not in favor of new rental housing in the city."

An election schedule posted to the Johnson County Auditor's Office website shows the deadline to request mailed absentee ballots is 5 p.m. March 23, and the last day for early in-person voting at the Auditor's Office will be from 7:45 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on April 2.

On April 3, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at University Heights City Hall, 1302 Melrose Ave.

Reach Andy Davis at 319-887-5404 or at aldavis@press-citizen.com, and follow him on Twitter as @BylineAndyDavis.